CHAPTER 1
The Futile Attempt and Vain Imagination of Adam and Eve
In the book of Genesis, the book of the beginning of the creation of God, it is recorded that God created the heaven and the earth and all things therein by the word of His power. Then God blessed all of the creatures that He made, saying: "Be fruitful and multiply". That is, everything that flies in the firmament of the heavens, every living thing that moves in the waters, and those things in the earth. God said "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind" and it was so. Thus, God saw that all that He made was good. See Gen. 1:1-25 After which God said "Let us make man in our image (character), after our likeness: And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in His own image. In the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish (Fill up) the earth, and subdue it: And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Gen. 1:24-28).
As it is shown, Adam and Eve were given complete authority to have control over all the earthly creatures and to replenish (fill up) the earth. They were both well favoured by God, being made in His own image and likeness and treated as one flesh.
Adam was greatly respected by God in that, Adam was given the opportunity to name every living creature that God had made, including Eve, the mother of the whole human family, his wife, and in God's sight they were one flesh because she was taken from Adam, to cleave to each other. For God had said husband and wife shall leave Father and Mother and cleave to each other. In using the example of Adam and Eve see Gen. 2:18, 21-24.
As a result of man's wonderful creation by God, including the entire universe that He has made, the Psalmist, in his assessment and reflection of the greatness of God and His wonderful works which He did, declared: I will praise Thee (in his expression of gratitude), for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul (self) knoweth right well. My substance was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret and curiously (intricately) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, Ps 139:14-15.
Such were the thinking and expressions of David, as he thought of God's great blessings that were bestowed upon mankind. Having the divine nature of God within them and possessed with eternal life, thus enabling them to have constant fellowship with God, having the ability before the fall to reason and to think right, so that all the creatures that Adam had named were accepted by God, because the Spirit of God was endued within him so that he could name them right.
However, there was a creature called the serpent which God had created, and it was more subtle (cunning) than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, which appeared to Eve in the garden of Eden.
This creature had given itself to Satan. It should be noted that this beast, in its first creation, was not a writhing reptile or snake that crept on its belly until it was cursed by God for the part it played in the fall of man.
This beast was used as an agent of the devil which had envied Adam and Eve for the dominion they were given by God over the entire earth, and in the seas, to execute their authority.
For this reason he cunningly beguiled Eve and twisted the Word of God concerning the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then Eve hearkened to the devil's lie and was deceived, which resulted in their transgression and subsequent spiritual and physical death, as well as all the consequences of sin, pain, sickness, child bearing with pain, labour with difficulties and all the causes of sin by their disobedience.
Thus, Satan tried to usurp God's authority on the earth as shown in his futile attempt to tempt the Lord Jesus in His forty days and forty nights fasting in the wilderness. Mt. 4:5-9
CHAPTER 2
The words of deception by the serpent to make Adam & Eve wise as God
The words of deception spoken by the serpent which misled Adam and Eve, that they would be wise as God, is the most deceptive of all deceptions, and cunning, which worked in their minds, "ye shall not surely die".
That statement from the serpent, that their eyes shall be opened and that they shall be wise as gods, knowing good and evil, brought their downfall. That disobedient response to God's command shows that we should be careful to what we give ourselves to hear, and what we are in agreement with. This account of that incident shows that it is foolish to think that we can be as wise as God, who created us with all His manifold wisdom, power and all other attributes vested in Him.
This was the sole purpose when it appeared to Eve in the garden of Eden. To dethrone them of their dominion given to them by God. Thus the serpent said to Eve, "Yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" And the woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (God), knowing good and evil."
Thoughts of those kinds are vain imagination which leads to negative behaviour that will lead us astray from God and ultimately His blessings, He has promised for our faithfulness and obedience to do His will.
The commands He gives are positive. They are given for upliftment in our lives. Those thoughts we should inculcate in our minds. They are Christ-like and they are positive thinking which will bring to us our heavenly rewards. Thus, deception and false beliefs outside of God's commands, was an evil seed sown and conceived into the heart of Eve and Adam, grown into an evil fruit of a false concept that she could become wise as God, knowing good and evil.
Thus she engaged her heart with the urge to be wise as God. She developed pride to be as God, with great wisdom and power to live forever and not die.
This idea in mind was born out of the word of deception and falsehood sown in her heart by the serpent. With that thought in her mind, she had seen the tree as pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise. She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. See Gen. 3:1-7. In one way or another, mankind shall be always seeking to obtain knowledge of something he desires and regards as important to his wellbeing.
However, for this to be attainable, the fear of God is vital, thus showing reverence to God in the spirit of obedience which is the principal thing. In that we are aware that our Creator is great in might and awesome in power to be reverenced. Ps. 95:3-11, Ps. 111:7-10. This will be so because whenever we think about God it is natural for our thoughts to go back to the creation of the universe, as well as our own creation.
Man's reflection of God is towards the Almighty who is self exist, eternal and infinite, without beginning of days nor end of days. Therefore, by this understanding, when God made Adam and Eve, they were well aware of God's great power and wisdom in whom eternal life is embodied, and Him only life is given and by Him life is taken. Therefore by this acknowledgement of Adam and Eve, they were given the sternest command throughout human history, which would determine life or death, blessing and cursing upon the entire human race, which had set the condition for grace and divine judgment by God alone.
Consequently God showed them the tree of knowledge of good and evil for them to make their choice either to live or die. However, unfortunately, they chose death by their action, rather than to keep life. The devil's attempt to derail God's eternal plan of life everlasting: Gen. 2:15-17; Gen. 3:4
Adam and Eve, the first human parents, were particularly blessed, being made directly by the precious and holy hands of God, who made them in His own image and likeness with the divine character of holiness which formed their natural and spiritual life, and as a result of this quality by which they were made they were endowed or furnished with the covering of the glory of God. Thus they did not know they were naked, because God's glory was their clothing and by this creation, they pleased God, consequently His finished work was all good in His sight.
As a result of this quality of life Adam and Eve enjoyed life in its fullness. Satan moved with covetousness to stop that quality of life, to have them stripped of God's glory and covering, permanently to make them naked with the consequence of sin to follow. Hence, Satan's attempt to stop God's eternal plan of everlasting life with His earthly creation of human beings. Therefore, on this basis, man's character was put to the test by God to determine the choice Adam and Eve would make between obedience to God's word of truth and the devil's guile and deception.
This was man's great test to prove his direction for his future. The reflection of life given to Adam and Eve, was dependent on them solely to observe God's word in strict obedience in all His commands. This was the condition laid down by God to them, that is, to abide in all things commanded of them. God gave to Adam the specifics to maintain life. Gen. 2:7-9, 17.
We do not know how long after Adam and Eve were created that they were given God's solemn command to keep. But we know according to the scripture God gave them, His warning, after He planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that was pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
All the trees were pleasant to the sight and good for food. But God made special emphasis of the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil. This dual natured fruit had in it two distinct substances of two different flavours and nutrients that would be good in part but harmful in its other mixture to the human sense and soul. Hence it was forbidden by God to eat of it. Gen. 2:8-9. It was God's divine act to make this fruit part good and part evil. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet wrote about God's divine act saying "I form light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil or calamity; I the Lord do all these things." Isa. 45:7. See Isa. 31:1-2; Isa. 47:8-11.
Concerning Jacob and Esau, Paul wrote; It was said unto her, that is Rebecca, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Rom. 9: 12-14.
So then, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. Rom. 9:11. This was God's purpose foretold of beforehand, indicating the election that it is of God who calls us and not of our works. It was God's divine acts to save both Jews and Gentiles.
The apostle attributed this to the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and Knowledge of God. In describing this quality of God he says: How unsearchable are his judgments, meaning his decisions, and his ways past finding out: For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor? See Rom. 11: 30-34.
As we have seen through the scriptures that God's divine purpose cannot be fathomed by our fallible minds. Therefore the essential thing to do, to please God, is to heed the counsel of the preacher as he has given instruction. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. See Eccl. 12:13
CHAPTER 3
The danger of sin and its consequence
Before sin is conceived, it is presented in a manner that seems good to the eyes (Gen. 3: 5-6), but it is false, and if the deception is accepted within the mind, and the heart, and it is conceived, the consequence is death spiritually (Jas. 1:13-15), followed by physical death.
This was the case with Adam and Eve. The devil presented a false reply to the truth of God's word and it seemed good in the mind of Eve.
Hence she was deceived (1 Tim. 2:14). Then Adam hearkened to Eve when she presented it (the fruit of good and evil) and they both fell into the transgression (Gen. 3: 16-19). Thus the consequence of sin is very great and costly (Ps. 49: 7-8).
This was the result of Adam and Eve, in that, when they were both created they were not ashamed, because they did not know they were naked. (Gen. 2:25). They were able to stand in the presence of God, and commune with Him. See Gen. 3:8-9; Job 38: 1; Ex. 19: 17-18 Ezek. 1: 3-4. The feelings of guilt came because of their disobedience to God's command, and as a result they felt afraid of God.
Therefore they hid themselves knowing they were naked. The knowledge of evil which they possessed after they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil brought about their knowledge of sin and the awareness of its consequences. See Gen. 3: 6-7, 10-11.
It was evident that Adam and Eve had the pleasure and privilege to meet with God at various times. Therefore, at His usual time, the Lord called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou? Adam said to God, I heard thy voice in the garden, and was afraid because I was naked.
Sin had brought onto Adam his separation from God, and therefore he could not stand in the presence of God's glory anymore. This will be the result of all those who have fallen from God's standard of holiness, and uprightness. They were brought to a lower state by their own failure through the undesirable knowledge of evil they had possessed, because of their sin.
Adam and Eve began to experience a new way of lifestyle which did not bring them happiness anymore, and God's glory departed from them. Their eyes were opened to a lifestyle that was worse than before, which their disobedient action brought upon them and they were driven out of the garden of Eden, Scripture reference Gen. 3: 2324.
Their new experience brought hardship through labour, thorns and thistles, by the sweat of their face, they would toil for the produce from the earth, which all mankind would experience through their labour: Also Eve was told she would experience sorrow through child bearing and subsequently their life would be given a time limit by physical death and they would return to the earth from whence they came, Gen. 3:19.
However, God's mercy from everlasting to everlasting, according to His own divine nature and character, was manifested. Therefore: Moses the man of God proclaimed: The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, (forbearing and patient with mankind), and abundant in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children's children unto the third and the forth generation, Ex. 34: 67.
Now when Adam and Eve had sinned, the eyes of them both had opened (by their knowledge of evil), and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons, and subsequently did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. God was demonstrating His mercy towards mankind from that instance and throughout the generations that would follow.
